Shipping container



Oct. 25, 1960 o. F. GRIM ETAL SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed April 13, 1959 United States Patent i" SHIPPING CONTAINER Oscar Frank Grim and Arthur Lankin, Wichita, Kans., assignors to Love Box Company, Inc., Wichita, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Filed Apr. 1s, 1959, ser. No. 805,863

9 claims. (ci. 20s-62) This invention relates to shipping containers and more particularly to containers for the shipment of large pieces or sheets of breakable material such as automobile windshields and particulanly the large, curved windshields of the type used in modern automobiles.

The primary object of this invention is to` provide a shipping container which has placed therein two identical sets of retaining elements which serve to hold the windshields to be shipped in position within the container while at the same time protecting the windshields from breakage.

A yet further important object of this invention -is to provide a shipping container which, by virtue of the con struction of the retaining elements therewithin, is capable of simultaneously receiving a number of windshields of varying heights, widths, lengths, shapes and configurations.

it is another ainr of this invention to provide in a shipping container retaining elements which have as a part thereof multiple purpose upright posts which serve not only to hold the windshields in the desired position and prevent the movement thereof within the container, but to also cushion the windshields and prevent the break age thereof duning shipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide retaining elements for shipping containers which are held in place within the container as a unit by a wire strap or band which surrounds the container but yet which allow relative oating movement between the component parts thereof.

Other important objects include the structure of the cross members and posts of the retaining elements, the interchangeability thereof and other novel 4details of construction which will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig.' l is a top plan view of the shipping container, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, parts being broken away for clarity; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The shipping container, broadly designated by the numeral 10, has a pair of opposed side walls 12; a pair of opposed end walls 14 and a bottom 16. The top of container is partially closed by a plurality of flaps 18 which form continuations of side walls 12 and end walls 14 respectively. The major portion of the top of container 10, however, is preferably open to reveal the contents of the container 10.

Container 10 is provided with two sets of retaining elements broadly designated as 28 and 22 respectively, the elements 20 and 22 being identical in construction. Thus the construction of onlly one of said elements will be described. Said elements 20 and 22 are each disposed within container 10 a suilicient distance from their proxima-l end walls 14 to allow the ends of the windshields 24 to be disposed between the respective elements 20 respectively.

and 22 and the corresponding, proximal end walls 14, all as best shown in Fig. 1.

As best seen in Fig. 3 each of retaining elements 20 and 22 includes a rst, normally horizontally disposed cross member 26 adjacent the bottom wall 16 of container 10. Member 26 may be secured to bottom wall 16 but it is preferred that the same be wedged between side walls 12 rather than being xedly secured to bottom 16 for reasons which will hereinafter be made apparent. A second, normally horizontally disposed cross member 28 is carried within container 10 in opposed', substantially parallel, spaced relationship to member 26, said member 28 preferably being placed adjacent the uppermost edges of sidewalls 12 and spanning the distance therebetween as does member 26. Member 28 is not secured to side walls 12 but is frictionally engaged thereby to retain the same in place. To prevent excessive lateral movement of members 26 and 28 one of said side walls 12 is provided with an upright brace 30 which is received by notches 32 provided in one end of members 26 and 28 Members 26 and 28 are each provided with longitudinal, substantiallyrectangular slots 34 and 36 respectively, Vsaid slots being in vertical alignment when the members 26-38 are disposed within contai-ner 10 as above described.

Interconnecting members 26 and 28 are a plurality of Isubstantially parallel, upright posts 38, the same having their normally lowermost ends received within slot 3'4 and their normally uppermost ends received within slot 36. Said posts 38 are in substantially perpendicular relationship to members 26 and 28 and are shiftable with respect thereto within slots 3'4 and 36.

Members 26 and 28 as well as upright posts 38 are preferably formed from a yieldable, corrugated cardboard. Members 26 and 28 are identical in construction and may consist of Several laminations of cardboard of identical size and conliguration. lt is possible to manufacture members 26 and 28 from a number of initial blanks having the same configuration, it being but necessary to assemble the same in stacked relationship and secure the same together to create a member of the desired thickness. Upright posts 38 are of identical construction the same consisting of an initial blank of cardboard folded and rebent upon itself in such a manner as to provide a post of substantially rectangular transverse configuration. Slots 34-36 may be varied to accommodate any size of upright such as 38 and -said uprights 38 may be assembled in any manner from an appropriate yieldable material which is capable of performing the desired functions. Posts 38 are interchangeable and any number thereof may be used to create the desired spacing therebetween or to obtain the necessary tightness of t to hold windshields 24 tightly in place. As is evident from the drawing, a number of curved windshields of various overall sizes and congurations may be packed within shipping container 10 by placing each windshield 24 between a pair of uprightposts 38 and bringing the opposed adjacent outer surfaces of a pair of adjoining posts 38 into engagement with the corresponding outer faces of the windshields. Such will serve to hold the windshield 24 in its desired position as well as to cushion the same again-st breakage.

It is to be appreciated that the posts 38 cooperate with the curvature of the windshield to retain the latter within container 10 and to prevent any end to end movement of the windshield. As is further evident, windshields of any height or width may be accommodated by container 10, it not being necessary to separately pack each windshield of varying size or to pack within a single container windshields of identical sizes and configurations. This is possible as a result of the length of upright posts 38, the

fact that Said posts 38 are shiftable within slots 34 and 36 and the fact that elements 20 and 22 may be easily positioned within container to accommodate such varying sizes and shapes of windshields. As is best seen in Fig. 2, when in place windshields 24 have their lowermost edges raised above bottom 16 by first cross members 26.

As has been previously indicated, uprightposts 38 are movable and shiftable with respect to members 26-28 and members 26-28 are allowed limited movement with respect to container 10 as well as posts 38. This limited movement is desirable as it permits the windshields 24 to oat with respect to retaining elements 2li- 22. It is, however, necessary to maintain'elements 20-22 as a unit in their proper and necessary position within container 1). This is accomplished by strapping about container 1i) a metallic band or wire 40, which wires are placed about the outer surfaces of container 10 at points coincident with the placement of elements 20--22 therewithin. When bands 40 are drawn tightly about the container 16 they overlie the side Walls, bottom and flaps thereof and traverse and overlie members 28 as well as the upper ends of posts 38. By pulling each band 40 tightly about container 10 in the position above described the uppermost edges 42 of container 10 formed by the joint between flaps 18 and side walls 12 are crimped inwardly at a point adjacent the respective proximal ends of member 28. By the same token the lower edges 44 formed by the joint between bottom 16 and side walls 125 are crimped inwardly at a point adjacent the respective proximal ends of first cross member 26. 'Ihis binding serves to hold the cross members 26 and 28 in the desired position within container 10 and to pull uprights 38 into tight engagement with the windshields disposed therebetween while still permitting limited oating movement between the respective components of retaining elements 20 and 22. When it is desired to remove the windshields from the container it is but necessary to cut bands 40, remove normally upper cross members 28 and lift the windshields upwardly from the container 10.

Container 10 when provided with retaining elements such as 20 and 22 can be used to safely ship large pieces of breakable material of different and varying overall sizes and configurations and may be used not only for shipment of curved windshields, as illustrated herein, but for packaging and shipment of any breakable material having a large surface area as has been hereinbefore pointed out. The components of retaining elements 20 and 22 such as members 26 and 28, and more particularly posts 38, may, of course, be varied to accommodate and safely ship a multitude of various products without departing from the scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A shipping device comprising side walls; end walls integral with said side walls; a bottom integral with said side and end walls; said bottom, side walls and end walls dening a container; cross members disposed between said side walls, said members having longitudinal slots formed therein and running substantially the length thereof, and upright posts within said container and received by the slots in said members.

2. A shipping device comprising side walls; end walls integral with said side walls; a bottom integral with said side and end walls; said bottom, side walls and end walls defining a container; cross members disposed between said side walls, said members having longitudinal slots running substantially the length thereof formed therein, upright posts within said container, said posts being received by said slots; and.means wrapped about said container for holding said cross members and said posts in position.

3. A shipping device comprising side walls; end walls integral with said side walls; a bottom integral with said side and end walls; said bottom, side walls and end walls defining a container; at least one pair of opposed, spaced apart cross members spanning the distance between said side walls and having longitudinal slots running substantially the length thereof, and a plurality of upright, spaced apart posts carried between said cross members in substantially perpendicular relationship thereto.

4. A `shipping device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said members and said posts are formed from a yieldable material.

5. A shipping device as set forth in claim 4 there being band means wrapped about said container and traversing said members longitudinally thereof whereby to retain said members and said posts in position as a unit while allowing limited freedom of movement therebetween.

6. A shipping device for breakable sheet materials comprising side walls; end walls integral with said side walls; a bottom integral with said side and end walls; said bottom, side walls and end walls defining a container; two sets of retaining elements for said material, each of said sets including a first, normally horizontally disposed cross member adjacent the bottom of said container and a second normally horizontally disposed cross member adjacent the upper edge of said side walls, said first and second members being in opposed relationship and spanning the distance between said side walls, there being a longitudinal slot formed in each of `said members and running substantially the length thereof; and a plurality of upright, spaced apart separator posts for holding said sheet material therebetween, said posts being disposed between said members and in perpendicular relationship thereto, the ends of said posts being within the slots in said rst and second member respectively.

7. A shipping device as set forth in claim 6 wherein each set of retaining elements is spaced inwardly from an opposite end wall of the container whereby to dispose the ends of the sheet material retained thereby between its corresponding retaining element and the proximal end wall of the container.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7, said members and said posts being formed from cardboard.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8 there being a band drawn tightly about the container at a point coincident with the location of each of said retaining elements whereby to hold each of said elements within the container and in its predetermined position as a unit while allowing limited movement of said members and uprights relative to one another and to the material retained thereby.

Honigbaum .Tune 17, 1924 Murphy May 22, 1956 

